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Agencies disclose spending on groups

Posted: Wednesday, August 18, 1999

By James SalzerStaff Writer

ATLANTA -- State agencies are spending at least $300,000 on membership fees to organizations ranging from the Holstein Association to the Cleaning Management Institute and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce.

The Department of Human Resources alone is paying dues to more than 90 local chambers of commerce from Athens and Chattooga County to Kings Bay and Savannah.

In some cases, state agencies pay dues to associations that, in turn, lobby the governor and General Assembly each year for funding and laws.

The disclosures were requested last week by Gov. Roy Barnes, who had to fight some associations to pass managed-care reform and open-meetings and open-records laws.

''We are just taking an inventory of memberships. We are not taking a position right now if it's appropriate or not,'' said Bobby Kahn, the governor's chief of staff.

''The governor has some concerns about state money going to organizations that lobby the legislature.''

Possibly the most prolific dues-paying agency, the University System of Georgia, had not reported as of late Tuesday.

The top agency that had reported by then was the human resources department, which forked over $177,731 for memberships.

The agency paid out thousands of dollars to local chambers. Peter Lee, a department spokesman, said local chamber dues were paid out by welfare and rehabilitation divisions that work to get jobs for Georgians in their program.

Just over $15,000 went for a membership in the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors, almost $12,000 for the National Association of State Directors of Developmentally Disabled Inc., and $8,400 for the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors Inc.

The department also paid $9,448 to the Georgia Hospital Association, an organization with three lobbyists at the statehouse during the 1999 General Assembly session and a force in state politics and on health-care legislation.

The Georgia Building Authority listed $11,764 in expenditures for associations, including $150 for the Georgia Hospitality and Travel Association.

The association reported two lobbyists for the 1999 session with the state Ethics Commission, including former Brunswick Rep. Ron Fennel. The authority also paid $593 for the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police, which had one lobbyist.

The Georgia Ports Authority reported about $20,000 in memberships, including $5,725 for the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, which had three lobbyists at the Capitol this year and regularly represents business interests under the Gold Dome.

The Ports Authority also paid dues to the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce, the American-Israel Chamber of Commerce and the German-American Chamber of Commerce, as well as the Georgia Conservancy, an environmental group.

The Secretary of State's office reported spending about $77,000 on memberships, although, as of late Tuesday, it had not detailed how the money was spent.

Georgia Chamber of Commerce officials reported that 50 state agencies, universities and technical institutes are members of their organization, many having joined in the 1980s.

Members of the chamber were involved in the hardest-fought battle of the 1999 session, Barnes' attempt to pass HMO reform legislation.

Supporters say the chamber opposed parts of the package, but Jeff Dimond, senior vice president for communications, said the organization's president, Lindsay Thomas, worked with the governor to perfect the bills.

''We did not oppose the governor on health care,'' Dimond said. ''It was a very constructive situation.''

Some business groups feared provisions to let patients sue their HMOs and see doctors outside their managed-care plans would drive up the insurance premiums they pay. Lawyer and doctor lobby groups -- who contributed heavily to Barnes' gubernatorial campaign last year -- supported the changes.

Kahn said the issue of whether state funds should be spent on dues to groups that lobby the General Assembly cuts both ways for associations like the Georgia Chamber.

''I don't imagine members of the chamber would like state funds to go to the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association,'' he said.